Fred “Pal” Barger has done a lot for his hometown of Kingsport, Tennessee.
The founder of the quick-service chain Pal’s Sudden Service recently donated more than $1 million to help build an athletic field house and scoreboard for his alma mater Dobyns-Bennett High School; to erect an automotive...

After outperforming Wall Street the past few years, the stock prices of restaurant companies with quick-service concepts finished a bit worse than the overall market in 2014.
Slightly more than half of limited-service dining companies’ stocks were bested by the Standard & Poor’s 500 index last...

Inexpensive. Nutritious. Filling. Easy to prepare. Easily transported. Delicious hot, cold, or at room temperature. Storable for years.
Other than noodles and pasta, the number of foods that meet all of these criteria is … well, zero, by my count. Perhaps that’s why these endlessly versatile...

THE Q&A
We spoke with officials at the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers about what attendees can expect from this year’s event.
What is the purpose of the NAFEM Show?
The NAFEM Show features foodservice equipment and supplies from 500-plus manufacturers. At the show,...

While the fast-casual category continues to be the fastest-growing industry sector, the road in 2015 will be bumpy. We will see constant change and challenges around every corner. For industry leaders, there are issues that will keep even the most seasoned executive awake at night.
Here is my top...

Every city has its hole-in-the wall spots that locals and foodies swear by. In Houston, family-owned Frenchy’s Chicken is on that list. The 46-year-old chicken brand’s Scott Street location is an institution. Its Creole-seasoned chicken is a “best of” winner in several publications year after year...

More than two decades ago, Pizza Hut sold its first pizza online—reportedly the first thing ever sold on the Internet. Ever since, the nation’s pizza chains have been leading the way in online sales innovation. And this year, that innovation is expected to continue as pizza brands fight off a stiff...

Tim Hortons has devoted fans in the U.S. One need only to read the Twitter and Facebook feed on the brand’s U.S. website to see the passion. “Can you please open a Tim Hortons in Cincinnati???” writes Kevin Ryne Laile. “I just had the best/fastest/nicest @TimHortonsUS service!! The new one at 5...

Papa Murphy's shares the home-baked love again this Valentine's day with its popular heart-shaped HeartBaker pizza. The HeartBaker pizza will be available at Papa Murphy's locations nationwide February 2–14.

"A seasonal fan favorite by staff and customers alike for over 30 years, our...

Rich Hicks has reached the height of success in the restaurant industry, with his quick-service concepts being heralded with accolades and catapulting him into the spot of a top-ranked entrepreneur. And like so many other leaders in the business, his career began at the bottom, working as a...

Captain D's reached a record-breaking average unit volume and a fourth-quarter same-store sales increase of 5.7 percent at the end of 2014. The company's average-unit-volume growth marks the second year its unit volume has reached an all-time high, and its fourth quarter performance marks the...

The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. is baking up an offer in celebration of National Bagel Day on Monday, February 9. On this day, the restaurant is thanking its guests for their patronage by providing a free small order of its newest product, Bagel Tasters— 10 bite-sized bagels along with...

McDonald’s one-minute “Pay with Lovin’” ad, which aired during the 2nd quarter, is one of the top-scoring ads so far this Super Bowl, according to Ace Metrix, the standard in television and video advertising analytics. The ad achieved an Ace Score of 706, one of the highest Super...

When Lori Newcomb found out she had stage III ovarian cancer last year, she made it her mission to learn more about the disease and help other women fighting the same battle. She sat down with her husband, Chris Newcomb, cofounder and CEO of Southern quick-service chain Newk’s Eatery, and together...

Though U.S. consumption is well below other proteins today, seafood will likely be an increasingly important part of the American diet in the years to come. The country’s population is predicted to grow by 89 million between 2010 and 2050 to 401 million people. More people require more food—and...

When fast-casual chain Zoës Kitchen Inc. debuted on the New York Stock Exchange last April, the Plano, Texas–based Mediterranean-style eatery recorded its initial public offering at $87.5 million. Satisfying an investor appetite for investments within the trendy fast-casual space, Zoës’ strong...

Kevin Kester’s family has been farming in the U.S. for generations. And it’s not just a couple of generations they’ve been farming; more like generations upon generations, way back to the 1600s, specifically in California since the 1860s. Today, Kester owns a 22,000-acre beef cattle ranch in...

Convenience stores are increasingly taking a larger slice out of the quick-serve pie with fresh food offerings. It’s become such a lucrative business for C-stores that Sheetz, the Pennsylvania-based C-store chain that this week opened its 500th location, is planning stores designed more as fast...

While the fast-casual category continues to be the fastest-growing industry sector, the road in 2015 will be bumpy. We will see constant change and challenges around every corner. For industry leaders, there are issues that will keep even the most seasoned executive awake at night.
Here is my top...